


Startale

by Poecilotheria



Series: Startales [1]
Category: Hoshi no Kaabii | Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Includes original sprite art, There will be a genocide and neutral version after conclusion of this one, True Pacifist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-28 00:24:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16712935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poecilotheria/pseuds/Poecilotheria
Summary: A child falls into the Great Cave, sparking a journey that promises to change the future of monsterkind.





	1. Fallen Down

_You were running as fast as your small legs could carry you, stumbling and tripping over the mountainous terrain.  An enraged voice rang out from somewhere far behind you, and you pushed on, hoping that their adult frame would become hopelessly entangled in the brambles and low branches below.  Tiny feet slipped and slid over gravel as you burst into a clearing._

_“You brat!” the man’s voice was closer now, and you turned to glance back at him as you continued forward.  Suddenly, your foot slid out, and you could only glance at the yawning abyss below before you fell deep into its depths._

 

                You awoke suddenly from your strange dream and sat up.  Your head was faintly throbbing.  Velvety petals brushed against your fingers, and you looked around at the place you’d fallen into.  You sat up as you took in the massive cavern, following the soft shaft of light back up to its source with your gaze.  An opening in the rock was located at the very apex of the tall cavern.  How had you survived this?  You stood and looked down at what had cushioned your fall.

                A thick carpet of thornless red roses blanketed a small section of the rocky floor, and you spent a few short moments running your fingers over the soft petals.  They filled the air with a faint fragrance that mixed with the smell of damp rock and stagnant air.  Your wandering eyes then fell onto a stone arch that stood behind you.  You approached it, and it towered over your small form.  An almost bunny-like rune adorned the top of the structure, and signs of decay were evident in the chips and cracks dotting the surface.  With no other way to go, you slipped through the doorway into the next room.

                Another patch of light was in the center of the hall-like room, and a large, thick-stemmed rose was illuminated beneath it.  You approached the patch and blinked as you realized the large rose had a cutesy face on its dark center.  The flower bounced cheerily as it caught sight of you, and you cautiously continued forward until you were standing in front of the strange plant.

                “Hey hey hey!  I’m Rosely, Rosely the rose!  Welcome to the Great Cave!” he chirped, flaring out two large leaves at the base of its stem in an imitation of jazz-hands.  You smiled, happy to have met a seemingly friendly face even in the depths of the cavern.

                “Hi!  I’m Kirby!” you sang, waving your hands at the plant.  You felt like it would be rude to point out that he was a flower, and you figured he probably already knew.  Rosely tilted his head, bringing a leaf up to his petals in a pondering gesture.

                “You’re new here, ain’t ya?” he asked.

                “Yeah.  I sorta fell,” you said sheepishly.  A flash of what almost seemed like recognition crossed the flower’s face, but it was gone quickly enough to make you doubt having seen it.

                “Well, we can’t have you just stumbling around with no direction!  Say, why don’t I teach you about how things go around here?” Rosely responded.

                “Oh, is this like a hidden magic flower village?” you asked excitedly.  Rosely chuckled, but there was something off about the noise.

                “Not quite.  Actually, it would be far easier to just show you!”  The plant flared out his leaves, and the sensation of something leaving your chest almost overwhelmed you as the world went black-and-white.  You steadied yourself, and were startled to see a pink, star shaped symbol floating a few inches in front of your chest.  “That pink thing is your soul, the culmination of your being.  Basically, it’s what makes you tick,” Rosely explained.  You went to touch it but drew back as the contact caused an indescribable sensation.

                “Wow!  It’s pretty…” you breathed, hypnotized.  You looked up as Rosely cleared his non-existent throat. 

                “Now, to grow strong, your soul needs a whole bunch of LOVE!  Down here, we share LOVE…” a multitude of little white pill-like objects materialized in a ring around Rosely, “…with little white friendliness pellets!” 

                “I want my soul to be super strong!  So I can eat anything I want!” you cheered, hopping in place a little.

                “That’s not- uh, yeah, sure!  So make sure you gather all of them!” Rosely said, causing the pellets to float gently towards you.  You eagerly stepped forward, and one of the little white objects impacted the center of your soul.  Instantly, a searing pain surged through your whole body, and you fell to your knees.  You looked up at Rosely in shock, barely able to even speak through the pain.

                “What…?” you whimpered.  Rosely’s face started to twist into a frightening black-eyed sneer as it cackled at your misery.

                “You aren’t very bright, are you?  Trusting a strange creature you found in a cave?” the flower laughed, its voice distorting.  You tried to run, but a circle of the same pellets materialized around you.  “Around here, it’s kill or be killed!”  Rosely began to laugh madly as the circle closed in, and you braced yourself for the worst.  “Now DIE!”

                The pellets impacted you, but instead of the same searing pain, nothing happened.  You looked at Rosely in confusion, and then smiled.

                “Oh, so you were pranking me!  How silly!” you chirped.  Rosely looked at you with a comically shocked expression.

                “No, you were supposed to die!” he snarled, conjuring a few more pellets and causing you to recoil.  Suddenly, a metal-tipped spear flew from a distant part of the room and smashed into Rosely, sending the flower flying out of sight.  Hurried footsteps could be heard as the unknown figure approached, slowly becoming clearer. 

                “What an awful weed, torturing an innocent kid,” the figure said, walking up to his spear and wrenching it out of the ground.  He stood a head taller than you and had vibrant orange skin aside from the cream-colored patch covering the front of his face.  He wore an open-sided cloak with a faded emblem that matched the one you’d seen on the door earlier, with casual clothing underneath and a cobalt bandanna tied around his head.  There was no visible mouth on his face, yet he spoke normally.  “Um, hey there.”

                “Hi!  I’m Kirby!  Do you think the flower guy is OK?” you chirped. 

                “Hey Kirby, my name is Bandanna Dee.  I take care of the Radish Ruins.  And uh…” he glanced off in the direction Rosely had been flung, “…I’m sure he’s fine.”

                “He was funny,” you quipped.  Dee only blinked in response.

                “Right.  Anyway, I check around here sometimes to see if anyone’s fallen.  You’re the first human to come through here in a while.  Here, I’ll guide you through the ruins,” he said, as the color suddenly returned to the world.  You looked around curiously as your newfound guide turned and took a step forward.  “Follow me.”

                “OK!” you chirped, following Dee as the two of you entered through another door into an expansive room.  It was awash in earthen colors aside from the colorful flowers adorning the succulent plants and vines scattered about.  Two large staircases sat opposite one another at the end of the room, leading up to another stone doorway.  A small enclave sat between the staircases, and a strange golden object floated above the scrub and sand.  Dee continued past you as you took in the sight.

                “Feel free to poke around,” he said, walking up one of the staircases, “Just head through this door when you’re ready, I’ll be waiting right on the other side.”

                “Alrighty!” you responded, approaching the golden object.  Dee nodded and slipped through the door, leaving you to closely inspect the strange object.  It glowed a soft yellow hue, and constantly changed shape, though it retained a star-like appearance.  You touched it, and a feeling of strength and calm washed over you.  

                The idea of finding a new friend even deep underground, it fills you with…

determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://potatochiptunes.tumblr.com/post/184416736467/beepbox
> 
> A mash up of Marx and Flowey's theme someone made! Also, this fic is not dead I've just been extremely busy, so it will update at some point!


	2. Radish Ruins

                “I should teach you how these ruins work, seeing as you’ll be staying here,” Dee said, addressing you as you entered the room.  He stood beside a large stone door and gestured towards several raised stone stumps.  “Watch me closely.”  He then walked across several of the stumps in a practiced pattern, depressing them down to the floor.  Dee then flipped a switch affixed to the wall, causing the previously sealed stone door to slide open.

                “Oh, a puzzle!” you exclaimed, walking over to experimentally press at one of the buttons.  Dee nodded.

                “Exactly.  The Radish Ruins are full of this kinda stuff, so it’s best to get used to seeing it.  This way,” he said, disappearing through the door before you could say anything.  You frowned, wondering why Dee seemed so nervous about talking to you.  Maybe he was shy?  Before you followed him through the door, you stopped to read a sign beside it.

                “Resolutely walk your path, for straying will only produce doubt,” you read aloud, stumbling over several of the words.  You wondered what it meant, but any meaning you could glean was lost behind your inability to understand several of the words.  You shrugged and continued onwards, figuring that it was just another funny thing that adults like to say.  Dee was standing next to a wooden sign, and he stopped his nervous fidgeting as soon as he saw you.

                “This room has a few switches to flip so you can progress.  I’ve labeled them though, so don’t worry.  I’ll be waiting over at the exit,” he said, before starting towards the other end of the room.

                “Isn’t that cheating?” you asked.  Dee hesitated for a moment.

                “Well, I can’t figure out how to disengage the puzzle, so I improvised,” he admitted.

                “That’s silly!  Why did you make them then?” you asked.  Dee froze and awkwardly rubbed his arm. 

                “I, uh, didn’t make them.  Flip those switches, OK?  I’ll wait over here,” he responded, hurrying to stand next to some metal spikes blocking the room’s exit.  You paused for a moment at the strange behavior, but you were quickly distracted by the nearby sign.  It was written in the same careful curling handwriting as the last one.

                “It is prudent to read all information provided to you,” you read, frowning at the unfamiliar word.  You glanced at the back and found yet more writing.  “Thorough investigation will also be vital.  Press the first two switches.”  Huh, but Dee already labeled them.  Another person must have written the signs.  You continued forwards onto a small stone bridge and stopped to kneel and dip your hand into the clear water that flowed beneath it.  It was cold and sparkled beneath the soft light that permeated the ruins.

                You stood and walked over to the first switch, wiping your hand off on your pants.  The switch had a message scrawled in yellow chalk on the stone beside it.  The handwriting confirmed your earlier suspicion, as the messy block letters were very different from the elegant script on the signs.

                “Press this one first,” you read.  You proceeded to do just that, pausing for a second to see if anything happened.  When nothing did, you continued over a second bridge and walked over to the next labeled switch.  The chalky text beside this one read ‘press this one next’, and you once again heeded the message.  There was a sudden metallic noise, and you turned just in time to see the spikes disappear into the metal plates that held them.

                “This might sound sarcastic, but good job.  Let’s keep moving then,” Dee said as you approached him.  You followed him into the next room, and you immediately noticed a tattered cloth dummy sitting off to the side.  Dee walked over to stand beside the dummy, patting the worn cloth. 

                “I’m sure you’ve realized that not all monsters in the Great Cave are so kind to humans.  If you’re going to live here, you’ll have to be prepared for any attacks,” Dee explained.  You frowned at his words.

                “Why would they attack me?” you asked, saddened at the thought.  Dee shifted uncomfortably at the question.

                “Uh, they get…cranky,” he stammered.

                “Ooooh, so they’re just grumpy!” you said, perking up.

                “Um, yeah, they’re just in a…bad mood…sometimes…,” Dee murmured, before clearing his seemingly nonexistent throat.  “Anyway, don’t worry.  There’s a process to these encounters.  If a monster attacks you, you enter a FIGHT.  Then, you talk to them.  Any topic is fine, just stall them until I can come stop the FIGHT.”

                “Can I hug them?” you asked happily.  Dee walked to the entrance to the next room and turned to observe you.

                “Uh, if they’re friendly I guess it couldn’t hurt if you’re careful…” he answered awkwardly.  “Anyway, try talking to this dummy.”  You approached the dummy, and the world once again turned black and white. 

                “Hi!  I’m Kirby!,” you chirped, waving at the dummy with both hands.  Predictably, there was no response, so you hopped closer and hugged the crumbling cloth.  “You’re very soft Mr. Dummy!” you exclaimed as Dee watched in surprise.  He could swear he felt a sense of discomfort emanating from the doll despite its inanimate status.  Your world melded back into color, and you released the dummy, looking to Dee for approval. 

                “That was definitely…good, but you should probably try to keep your distance in the real thing,” Dee said.  “Let’s keep going.”

                “But why?” you asked, but Dee had already disappeared into the next room.  You followed him as he traversed the new room but stopped as you felt the familiar feeling of your SOUL pulling out of your chest.  The world went black and white, and an odd mushroom like creature jumped between you and Dee.

                “Stop right there human!” it barked, bouncing and waggling its stubby arms as it juggled its spotted cap.  Dee cleared his thought before you could greet the new monster, and it turned to face him with a sheepish expression.

                “Hey Cappy, I think we’ve talked about this,” Dee huffed, his expression stern.  The Cappy shrunk away from the other monster, stammering out an apology before it bounced away.  Color returned to the world as your SOUL faded away, and Dee continued onwards. 

                “Bye!” you called after the fleeing monster and you hurried to catch up to your guide.  You nearly ran into his back as he stopped in front of an expansive grid of spikes. 

                “This is the next puzzle, but I don’t want you to get poked.  Here.”  Dee held out his hand, and you quickly took it, almost startling him.  “Follow closely behind me and you’ll be fine,” he continued.

                “Okay!” you chirped, dutifully sticking closely to Dee as he navigated through the spikes.  He quickly released your hand as soon as the two of you reached the other side, clasping his hands together to stifle any attempt to grab it again. 

                “That one was a little too dangerous,” he said, and you could swear there was a mix of bitterness and longing in his tone.  You followed him as he continued through to the next room, intensely curious. 

                “Who made the traps?” you asked, tugging at Dee’s cloak.  He froze.

                “Hey, uh, here’s your final test.  Just…make it to the end of the room.  I’ll be waiting,” Dee said hurriedly, quickly dashing out of sight.  You hesitated before jogging after him, wanting to apologize for somehow hurting his feelings.  The room was very long, and you were out of breath by the time you reached him.  He was leaning against an intricately patterned pillar and staring off into nothing.  He jumped as you spoke.

                “Sorry!  I won’t ask about it if it hurts,” you said, patting his shoulder.  He stared at you for a moment before his eyes squinted in what would’ve been a smile if he had a mouth.  Dee straightened up and turned to you, ruffling your hair.

                “Thank you.  You’re a good kid,” he said.  “You know, I think you can be trusted with this,” Dee continued, handing you a small device.  You studied it closely and looked up at the monster.

                “A phone?” you asked. 

                “Yep.  I already programmed my number into it.  I have some stuff to do, so you’ll have to wait here alone for a bit.  You can call me if anything happens.  Or to chat, I guess,” Dee explained. 

“Thank you!” you chirped, already fiddling with the phone.  Dee did his little eye-smile thing again and patted your head.

                “It won’t take long, promise,” he said, heading through the room’s exit. 

                “Bye bye!” you called after him, waving.  You stood silently for all of five minutes before opening the phone and calling the single contact contained within.  It rung only once before being picked up.

                “Is something wrong?” Dee asked, his voice slightly panicked sounding. 

                “I’m bored,” you said, and the line went silent for a second.

                “I’m sorry, but I really have to do this.  Perhaps you can find something to do while I’m gone?”  You thought hard for a second.

                “Okay, I will.  Bye dad!” you exclaimed, pulling the phone away from your face.

                “D-dad?!” Dee sputtered, cut off as you hung up.  You looked towards the next room and proceeded onward with little hesitation.  He did say to find something to do.  Several piles of succulent-dotted sand were scattered throughout the room, and another golden object floated above one of them.  As you walked further in you noticed the mushroom creature from before standing to the side of the doorway.

                “Hiya!  My name is Kirby.  Isn’t yours Cappy?” you greeted, startling the monster. 

                “Um, yeah, I’m a Cappy.  Listen, sorry about earlier.  Here, I’ll give you some advice: If you ACT long enough, or FIGHT until you’ve properly pummeled them, monsters might not want to battle anymore.  If that happens, have MERCY human,” the Cappy said. 

                “Thank you!  I don’t really get it, but I’ll find some MERCY and keep it around!” you said, nodding.  You moved over to the glowing star before the Cappy could correct you, slipping and sliding on the soft sand.  You touched its glowing surface, and a sense of strength and anticipation flowed through you. 

                Playing in the sand amongst the pretty succulents fills you with…

Determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More detail into Dee's character here. And who else lived in the Ruins? Hm.
> 
> Also I keep getting a fight or flight response to Kirby's face. He looks eerily like Chara.


	3. Enemies Approaching!

You hopped off the mound of sand, and scanned the room, eager to explore.  You quickly decided on the room to your right, and you darted through the doorway.  The room was a dead-end, smaller than the one you had just left and ringed with two canals full of clear mountain water.  A pedestal sat in the center of the room, and you rapidly approached it as you realized that the bowl sitting atop it was filled with a mound of candy.  You noticed a note nestled inside of the candy, and you pulled it out.  The paper had the sort of soft texture only age and wear could cause, and the note written on it was in the same handwriting as the signs you had read earlier.

                “Take only one,” you read, emphasizing the underlined word.  You frowned and placed the note back into the bowl, pondering your options.  Whoever wrote the signs, and by extension the note, was apparently not around anymore, so they wouldn’t mind...  Your conscience won out, however, and you took only one of the colorful round candies before heading back through the doorway.  You took a second to gain your bearings before proceeding towards the only doorway you hadn’t yet been through.  Before you could reach it, the world turned black and white as a Cappy leapt into your path. 

                “Oh!  Excuse me, I was heading this way,” you said.  The Cappy only waggled its arms angrily in response, flinging its cap into the air and catching it back on its head.

                “You won’t get any further, human!” it barked, continuing its wiggling.  You frowned and tapped your chin, thinking back to your practice fight with the dummy.  Stall them with conversation until Dee could show up…  Well, Dee had no idea that you weren’t back in the other room waiting, so you’d have to do more than just stall.  Your face lit up as you had a sudden idea.

                “I like your mushroom hat!” you said cheerily.  The Cappy’s agitated movements slowed in confusion.

                “What?” it said blankly. 

                “It’s the biggest mushroom ever, I bet!” you continued, hoping your tactic would work.  The Cappy went totally still, seemingly calming somewhat.

                “Well, of course!  I take very good care of it, unlike the others,” the monster sniffed, making the closest thing to a smug expression its face would allow.  A new idea hit you, and you struggled to keep a sly grin off of your face.

                “I guess, but I wouldn’t really know…” you responded, causing the Cappy to bounce a few times in surprised irritation.

                “What?  What’s that mean?” it snapped.

                “Well, I can’t really know how much awesomer it is if I can’t see all the other Cappys,” you explained, waiting anxiously for the next response.  The monster stilled again and seemed to be deep in thought before speaking again.

                “Well, I guess I can let you go see them.  So you can truly appreciate my amazing cap-“

                “Thank you!” you said quickly, cutting the monster off and darting into the next room as color returned to your vision.  You were so focused on escaping before the monster could change his mind that you failed to notice the cracked ground ahead.  The second you stepped on it your foot broke through, followed by the rest of you as you plummeted into the room below.  A soft pile of sand broke your fall, and you stood after a few moments of dizziness.  You brushed the sand off of yourself as you looked around, quickly finding a doorway that led to a set of stone stairs.  You climbed the stairs up as they wound around before climbing through a narrow entrance that had gone unnoticed in your earlier rush.  You started as you noticed the Cappy from earlier standing on the other side of the cracked section.

                “Be more careful, human!  You can’t die before truly appreciating the extent of my glorious cap!” the monster called out.  You smiled as you brushed yet more sand off your pants.

                “Don’t worry Mr. Cappy, I’ll be OK!  Bye bye!” you chirped, waving enthusiastically as you headed into the next room. 

                “I wasn’t worried!” it responded indignantly, bouncing wildly in anger and embarrassment.  You barely heard the Cappy, however, due to your phone ringing the moment you entered the new room.  You quickly picked it up.

                “Hiiii!” you sang.

                “Um, hey.  For no particular reason, do you prefer strawberries and cream, or cake?” Dee asked, a low hum of what seemed like a bustling store in the background.  You barely let him finish before answering.

                “Cake!  I loooove cake!” you said excitedly, drooling at the thought of all the different kinds of cake there were.  There was a moment of silence on the other end before Dee spoke.

                “Well that wasn’t a hard question, huh?  Thanks for the answer, I’ll be back soon,” he said, before ending the call.  You put the phone away, happy at the possibility of cake as you looked over the new area.  There was a rock emblazoned with a star placed some distance away from a large metal switch, with a path eroded into the stone floor between the two.  A line of the same sort of metal spikes from earlier divided the room just ahead of the rock and switch.  You spotted a nearby sign and began to walk towards it when your phone rang again.

                “Hi again!” you said, picking it up quickly.

                “Uh, you don’t hate strawberries, right?  Like you would still eat them if they were there?” Dee asked, seemingly distracted by something. 

                “Strawberries are tasty too!” you answered. 

                “OK, good.  Hey, thanks for waiting by the way.  You’ve been pretty patient with me.”  The phone went silent again before you could respond, and you felt a pang of guilt at disobeying Dee’s only request.  The call of adventure was strong, however, and you pocketed the phone as you walked up to the sign.

                “If this puzzle exceeds your capabilities, I am sorely disappointed,” you read, again stumbling over the unfamiliar words.  Whoever wrote the signs seemed a little grumpier than Dee, but at least they seemed to be helpful.  There was a note written in yellow chalk just below the words, and you read it as well.  “Push the stone onto the switch.  Don’t be rude, uh…” you struggled to read the name, but it had been smudged beyond recognition.  You stood for a few moments before shrugging and walking over to the stone.

                The stone was cube-shaped and was adorned with a star carved into its surface.  You leaned your full weight against the stone and pushed, nearly falling as it slid far more easily than you had anticipated.  You slid it over the switch and it depressed with an audible click, causing the spikes to recede into their metal housing.

                “Another puzzle solved!” you exclaimed, putting your hands on your hips in a triumphant pose.  You allowed yourself to bask in the minor accomplishment for a few moments before continuing to the next room.  This room was larger than the last, and most of the floor was utterly riddled with cracks.  You gulped and walked onto the floor but were surprised when it managed to hold your weight.  You continued, emboldened as the stone held together beneath your feet.  Suddenly, your next step broke through and you fell into the room below, only partially being cushioned by the sand.

                “Oooow,” you groaned, laying in the fetal position for a minute as the throbbing pain in your hip and shoulder faded.  You stood and looked around, noting how the room seemed to be shaped identically to the one above.  A path seemed to have been carefully swept into the sand, and you followed it to another sign affixed to the wall.  “What is on the surface often imitates what is below it,” read the familiar curly handwriting.  Another note in chalk was there as well, reading “Seriously?  This is way too vague.  Copy the path down here and you won’t fall.”  You giggled to yourself at the apparent bickering that must have gone on.  Dee must have been really close to whoever wrote these signs to talk to them so easily, albeit through writing.  You walked to the far side of the area with the sand path, carefully memorizing the pattern before you walked up the nearby staircase and back to the room you had fallen from.

                “OK, no falling this time,” you murmured, carefully picking your way through the cracked floor and pausing in front of another sign.  “One must walk their path without hesitation, for straying may remove such choices from your grasp,” you read.  You shook your head and continued to the next room, wishing that the sign person didn’t use such weird words.  The next room had three stones and three switches, as well as an irritated-looking purple bug monster.  Wait.

                “A human?!  Here?!” the monster sputtered, buzzing around angrily as the room turned black-and-white. 

                “Wait, I don’t wanna fight!” you stammered, holding your hands out in a pacifying manner.  The monster didn’t even bother to respond, instead sending out a small burst of what looked like flies.  You braced yourself against the onslaught, screwing your eyes shut against the pain as several of the bugs impacted your SOUL.  You fell back as the monster approached, flinching at the apparent sensation of flies being crushed beneath you.  You peeked below you, only to be shocked as the “flies” melted away into wisps of what seemed like smoke.

                “You have a lotta nerve showing up around here-“

                “Oh!  These aren’t really bugs!”  The monster looked at you in confusion as you cut him off, presenting several of the fake bugs in your palm as they faded away.

                “Uh, no.  It’s my magic,” he explained, hovering in place as he stared you down.

                “Oh good!  I don’t wanna squish any bugs,” you chirped, relieved.  The monster blinked, and landed, walking closer to you on his stubby feet.

                “You…like bugs?” he asked.  You smiled and nodded, sitting up.

                “Yeah, they’re cool little guys.  I’m Kirby, what’s your name?” 

                “Uh, Bronto Burt.  But everyone just calls me Burt,” he answered, looking around awkwardly.  You hopped to your feet and gave him a cheerful wave.

                “It’s nice to meet you.  You’re really big for a bug,” you said.

                “Well, I am a monster,” Burt said.  He then fluttered gently back into the air, looking distinctly sheepish.  “You know, you’re not so bad for a human.  Sorry about the whole attempted murder thing.”

                “It’s OK, you’re not the only monster to try,” you laughed, causing Burt to give you an intensely concerned look. 

                “Then try to stay safe I guess.  See you around,” he said, flying over your head and off into the ruins as color returned to the world.

                “Bye!” you called after him, before you turned to evaluate the new puzzle before you.  You swiftly set to work, easily pushing the first two stones into place.  The final stone had two slips of worn paper taped to it, with the first simply reading “ANNOYING!” and the second reading “Don’t be rude!”  The sign person sure was a grump.  You went to push the stone and very nearly jumped away when it spoke.

                “Hey, do you always go round shovin’ people?” it snapped, and you sheepishly rubbed the back of your neck.

                “Uh sorry, I just didn’t think-“

                “Well duh you didn’t think!  Anyway, I’ll cut you a deal.  You want me on that switch right?”

                “Uh huh…” you said, nodding despite your intense confusion.

                “If you get these dang notes offa me, I’ll mosey right on over there,” it continued.  You hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently pulling the notes off of the stone, quietly pocketing them.  The stone let out a sigh of relief and slid its way onto the switch, causing the row of spikes ahead to retract.  You walked over the retracted spikes and into the next room, saying farewell to the stone as you went and getting only a loud snoring sound in response.

                Another golden star floated in this room, but that wasn’t what first caught your eye.  Another dummy stood in the room along with a wooden cutout.  You walked closer and were surprised to see that the dummy was nearly destroyed, with its stuffing poking out through multiple large holes in the fabric.  Even the intact fabric was full of stitches, as if it had been repaired many times before.  But the thing that managed to unnerve you was the cutout.  It was more than just vaguely human-shaped and had a red x over where the heart would be.  The head had been cleaved in two by what must have been a wickedly sharp weapon swung with great force. 

                “Creepy,” you muttered, moving on to a paper affixed to the wall.  It seemed to be a page from a comic book featuring a sword-wielding warrior striking a triumphant pose, along with what looked like a series of times corresponding with different workout routines scrawled below it.  You returned to the golden star and touched its warm surface, still slightly unnerved by the room’s contents.

                The fact that whoever uses this room is at least not here right now fills you with…

Determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting ever closer to the very first boss fight, so hang in there!
> 
> Also, someone should clean up the mess they left in the Radish Ruins. In more ways than one.

**Author's Note:**

> So surprise! I've been working on the sprite art for this for a while, but I realized a fully sprited Startale was simply too much for one person to do. So I've decided on a hybrid between sprite art and writing that I hope you'll enjoy! 
> 
> All sprites are custom edited by me, and there will be character sheets and bonus renderings of rooms I don't use up on my Tumblr as the fic progresses.
> 
> Also, there will be twists and concepts not present in the original plot of Undertale, so don't worry about this being yet another rehash with a new coat of paint. I will do my very best to keep this fresh and interesting!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I will reiterate that I hope you enjoy this fic!


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